will for the most part depend one upon another and the former Proposition will be introductory and leading to them that do succeed Before I come to lay down those Propositions that do immediately concern the Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction it self there are some Propositions to be laid down that are preliminary and necessary to make way thereupon 1. The first Proposition then is this Man was created under a Law of service and obedience to his Maker Man when first he came out of the hands of God must needs see himself in a state of inferiority unto God he saw that God was above him and that he had received his being from God and that receiving his Being from God he must necessarily be in a state of inferiority and subjection to him Man also saw that having received his Being from God he was under a vast obligation of gratitude love and service into God who had given him Being and such an excellent Being man also saw that receiving his Being from another and not having it from himself it was most just and reasonable that he should be under the will of him who gave him his Being and not under the conduct and government of his own will These deductions do naturally flow from the principles of right reason which we must suppose to be in man in his primitive estate 2. The second Proposition is this That man was every way fitted and qualified to give obedience to the Law of his Creation Man we know at first was created after the image of God in Righteousness and true Holiness and man being cloathed with the image of God was every way fitted to give to God that obedience which the Law of his Creation required from him Mans mind or understanding was filled with light and knowledge whereby he clearly understood what the will of God and what his own duty was Mans will also as it was first created had no obliquity in it but was inclined to good his affections were all regular God made man upright as the Scripture speaks Eccles 7.29 Every thing was upright most upright in man in his first Creation there was nothing out of order in him the will of man was then upright It is true although the will of man was made upright and good at first yet it was not made immutably good but that it was possible for man to decline from good to evil otherwise it had not been possible for man to have fallen and sinned but sin and fall he did and that we know by our own sad experience But yet though man was not created at first in an impeccable estate but that it was possible for him to sin yet he was created in so perfect a state that it was possible for him not to have sinned Tale erat adjuâ—orium quod desereret cùm vellet in quo permaneret si vellet non quo fieret ut vellet Aug. Hence is that of Austin Adam had that help and assistance given to him at first which he might desert when he would and in which he might have abode and continued in case he would but he had not that help and assistance whereby he should so will 3. The third Proposition is this God to lay a further ingagement upon man to persevere in the course of his obedience entred into a Covenant or stipulation with man promising him life in case of obedience and threatning him with death in case of disobedience This we have expressed in that known Text Gen. 2.16 17. And the Lord God commanded the man saying Of every tree of the garden thou mayst freely eat But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death Here we have a positive Law supperadded unto the natural Law the Law of mans creation and there is a threatning annexed to deter man from breaking this Law in which threatning also there is a promise supposed to be included in case man did not break it for if God threatned man in case he did eat that he shall dye this is to be supposed if he did not eat nor transgress this command he should not dye else the threatning had been in vain Now we must know that man by virtue of the natural Law the Law of his creation was bound to observe this positive Law of God And the reason is because man being a creature must necessarily be under the will and at the dispose of him that makes him and therefore must necessarily be obliged to observe his Creators will in all things that he shall declare to be his will therefore it pleasing God to give out this positive Law concerning the not eating of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil as a tryal of mans obedience man by virtue of the natural Law the Law of his creation is bound to give obedience to God in this positive Law of his For man as he is a creature is bound to give obedience to the Law and Will of his Creator in that way God requires and expects it of him and God having manifested this to be his Will the Law of his creation obligeth him to testifie his respect and obedience to God according as he hath discovered his mind to him 4. The fourth Proposition is this That man sinning God is highly offended with him by reason of sin Sin is most displeasing to God upon several accounts 1. Because sin is most contrary to the Nature and Will of God 1. Sin is contrary to the Nature of God Psal 5.4 Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with thee Hab. 1.13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity 1 Joh. 1.5 God is light and in him is no darkness at all God is perfection and sin is imperfection God is purity and Holiness it self and sin is a defect of that purity therefore the nature of God is most diametrically opposite to sin 2. Sin is contrary to the Will of God The Will of God is expressed and declared in his Law Now the Law of God commands rectitude nothing but rectitude The commandment is holy just and good Rom. 7.12 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness and thy law is truth Psal 119.142 Now sin is a deviation from that rectitude which the Law requires sin is a perfect contradiction to the will of God revealed in his Law 2. Sin is most displeasing unto God because it is a casting off of Gods Authority This we must necessarily suppose that God being infinitely superiour unto man and the Author of mans Being must needs have the most perfect and absolute authority over man Now man when he sins when he takes upon him to sin acts according to his own will and takes no notice of the Divine Law and so consequently casts off Gods Authority Man when he sins acts after that manner as if so
justa As to the power of God all things are possible unto God but as to the justice of God nothing is possible but what is just Therefore God having decreed and that most justly to punish sin God could not but punish sin 6. The sixth Proposition is That God being merciful as well as just doth in his infinite Wisdom find out a way how his Justice may be salved and man not perish This is that which the Apostle declares to us Rom. 3.24 25 26. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God being justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood To declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God to declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus The scope of the Apostle is plainly this To shew that God hath a mind to forgive sin and yet he would be just too therefore that he might be merciful and just both at once God found out a way how he might forgive sin and yet his Justice not be prejudiced Hence was it that God appointed Christ to be a ransom for us that so Christ bearing the punishment that we deserved the Justice of God might be satisfied in what Christ suffered and yet his Mercy might be glorified in remitting the punishment to us Him hath God ordained to be a propitiation through faith in his blood saith the Apostle God remits sin freely as to us and so his mercy is glorified as to us and yet he receives full satisfaction from Christ and so his Justice is glorified in him Thus mercy and truth are met together righteousness and peace have kissed each other Psal 85.10 God having found full satisfaction to his Justice in the blood of Christ there is a sweet reconciliation between those two seeming contrary Attributes the Justice and Mercy of God This is elegantly set forth by one of the Ancients after this manner There is a controversie or a strife as it were between the Justice and the Mercy of God Altercatio est inter Dei justitiam misericordiam but this strife is ended in the death of Christ because in the death of our Saviour Divine Justice is satisfied in all that it did desire Divine Justice saith If Adam dye not I am lost and Mercy on the other hand saith If Adam doth not obtain mercy one way or other I am lost now Christ interposing by his death each of these Attributes have what they do desire Learn from what hath been said the Justice Vse 1 Equity and Righteousness of God in punishing of sin Psal 98.9 With righteousness shall he judge the world and the people with equity Ezek. 18.29 Art not my ways equal are not your ways unequal The ways of God are full of equity when God punisheth sin there is the greatest equity that he should do so there is that demerit in sin and there is that Holiness and Justice in the Nature of God that calls upon him to punish sin Sin is after a sort infinitely evil not that it is simply and in it self so but sin may be said to be infinitely evil with respect to the object as it is contrary to the glory of God who is Bonum infinitum an infinite good God also who is the Governor of the World seeing how much the Sinner had violated the Law of Right and Equity judges it a just and righteous thing that Sinners should undergo punishment therefore no man hath cause to quarrel with God and to think hardly of him for inflicting punishment upon him because of sin for This is the judgment of God that they which do such things are worthy of death Rom. 1.32 This is the judgment of God as much as if it had been said God hath determined this in his infinite Understanding It is the upright and just determination of the most wise God that the Sinner is worthy of death God is not too rigorous in his judgment in this case he judges according to the equity of the cause Rom. 2.2 The judgment of God is according to truth Isa 3.11 Wo unto the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him The reward of his hands shall be given him O this is certain every mans condemnation will be found just at last and it will appear to him that it is most just God condemns no man but for sin and there is that desert in sin for which God may justly condemn men and I conceive that a great part of the torments of the Damned consists in this That they shall have their eyes opened and their understandings inlarged which are now shut and closed up to see that turpitude baseness unworthiness monstrousness unreasonableness that was in sin and that they are justly punished for committing that which was so contrary to the Law of their Creation and to the Principles of their own Beings as they are reasonable creatures For what is more just equal and reasonable than that the creature should honour obey and serve his Creator and take notice of his Laws and yield conformity to them And what more unjust unreasonable and unequal than the creature should cast off Gods Authority and live in contempt of his Maker and defiance of his Laws Now when men shall have their understandings opened to take in this more fully then they will see that God is just in punishing sin and that their condemnation is most just Learn from hence Vse 2 that there is no way for a guilty Soul to appear before God but by flying to the Satisfaction of Christ God is so holy that he cannot but hate sin so just that he cannot but punish sin How then can a poor guilty creature appear before the presence of the Divine Majesty laden with all his sins O it is an easie thing for a secure Sinner that knows neither what the nature of sin is nor what the nature of God is to slight sin But he that once comes to see a little of the turpitude and deformity that is in sin and will summon himself into Gods presence and consider what the Holiness Purity and Justice of Gods Nature is will soon have other thoughts of sin and of his own condition by reason of sin God is of purer eyes than to behold the least iniquity and he will by no means clear the guilty therefore he that hath but a little sight of Gods Holiness and of his infinite Justice and Righteousness will soon cry out with the Prophet I am undone Isa 6.5 And nothing can ease or quiet a poor trembling Soul in this case but flying to the Satisfaction of Christ When a man compares his impurity with Gods infinite Purity and Holiness when he compares his own sinfulness and unworthiness with Gods
them Now in the serious exercises of faith we ought to attend this we ought to consider how that all the great things of our salvation were transacted by our Head in a part of our nature for us what Christ suffered our nature suffered in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas It is a good speech of Athanasius It was not our Lord himself so much as we that suffered in him The third Direction is We should behold our nature in Christ suffering and undergoing the same things which we deserved and do lye under the fear of As it is a great relief to faith to behold our nature suffering in Christ so that which makes this relief compleat is to see our nature in Christ suffering the very same things which we deserved and are under the fear of The Apostle tells us Rom. 4.5 The law worketh wrath The Law works the fear of wrath in the conscience the Law begets the sense of Gods wrath in the conscience How so The reason is Because by the law is the knowledge of sin sin is the transgression of the law by the Law I know my self to be a sinner because I see I have transgressed such a Law now the breach of this Law worketh wrath that is it works the fear of wrath as that which is due for sin Hence also is that expression of conscience of sin Heb. 10.2 The worshippers once purged should have no more conscience of sin By conscience of sin here in this place I take it that we must understand a conscience burdened and laden with the guilt of sin The meaning is not certainly that those who are once purged by the virtue of Christs Sacrifice should make no more conscience of sin that would be an impious opinion nay the contrary thereunto is most true a conscience purged from the guilt of sin by the Blood and Sacrifice of Christ such a person makes more conscience of sin that is of committing sin Shall we sin because grace abounds God forbid The grace of God teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts But the meaning of the place is that those who have their consciences once purged and cleansed by the blood of Christ they ought to have no more conscience of sin as to guilt that is they ought to look upon their consciences exonerated and discharged from guilt by the Sacrifice of Christ But that which I quoted this Text for was to shew that sin brings a conscience of guilt When sin lyeth upon the conscience it fills the conscience with the fear and horrour of Gods wrath now the great relief to conscience in this case must be for a man to turn his eyes upon Christ and to see Christ in our nature suffer that which we deserve and that which we are afraid of We are afraid of Gods wrath and Christ that was true man our Head and Surety felt and suffered the wrath of God we fear lest God should forsake us lest God should cast us off for ever now we ought to turn our eyes upon Christ and see our nature forsaken and deserted in Christ My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Do you fear the torments of Hell Christ hath born these very pains and torments This is certain there is no such relief or remedy to an afflicted conscience as for a man to turn his eyes upon Christ and to see Christ who was most innocent in himself suffering all that for us which we deserve and fear Deseritur cum desertis pro natura quam assumpserat tributum solvit Christ was deserted with them who were deserted and paid the tribute for that nature which he assumed as we heard heretofore And another of the Ancients expresseth himself to the same purpose God saith he in his righteous judgment exacted all those things from us which are written in the Law which when we our selves were not able to pay our Lord hath paid them for us Christ hath assumed and volunt arily taken upon himself the curse and condemnation which we were obnoxious unto Quae pati debueramus illa ipse pertulit those things which we ought to have suffered he himself hath born for us This is a great support to faith to consider that the things we deserved and feared those are the things which Christ hath suffered and born for us The fourth Direction is this Let us behold our nature in Christ voluntarily suffering what we deserved to suffer this also is a great relief to faith As it is a relief to faith to behold our nature suffering and suffering the same things that we ought to have suffered so this is another great relief to faith to behold our nature in Christ voluntarily suffering what we deserved to suffer As we who are the sinful sons of men have sinned voluntarily so one of our kin one of our stock and linage one that was true man hath voluntarily offered himself to suffer for us poor sinful men So that satisfaction is voluntarily tendered up to God in our room and stead by one who was true man and in all points like unto us sin only excepted Our sin and disobedience was not more voluntary than Christs obedience and offering himself to suffer for us was free and voluntary Christ our Head and Surety when the Justice of God was coming forth armed against us hath most voluntarily run to meet it and to expose himself to those strokes which should have lighted on us Lo I come to do thy will thy law is in my heart Heb. 10. The Justice of God was not more desirous of satisfaction to be made to it than Christ our Head and Surety was willing to tender it Now if a Creditor hath never so great a sum of money owing to him and the Surety undertake the payment of the whole debt and be most free and ready as to the payment of it as free to pay the debt as the Creditor is to demand it what can he desire more Christ our Surety undertook the payment of our debt and was as ready to tender the satisfaction as God was to require it The fifth Direction is Let us direct the eye of our faith to the person of the Son of God acting in our nature and sanctifying all his sufferings by the dignity of his own person To illustrate this let us consider that Scripture Heb. 7.26 Such an High Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners made higher than the heavens and then it follows in vers 28. The Law maketh High Priests which have infirmity but the word of the oath which was since the Law maketh the Son who is consecrated for evermore The scope of the Apostle in this place is to shew that he who is our High Priest is more than a man he is the Son of God The word of the oath makes the Son which is consecrated for evermore He opposeth the Son of God to the Priests under the Law Now
all the money he hath to purchase that inheritance it is a sign he loves that child well So is it in this case the things that God intends to bestow upon his people are the greatest things and he hath been at the greatest cost and charges to bring them to this inheritance 1. God bestows upon his people the greatest things and therein he shews how strong his love is to them What things are they no less than himself his own glory and blessedness all the riches of Heaven Heirs of God coheirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 Heirs of God what is that We shall inherit God himself for our portion we shall enjoy all that he is all that God hath so far as we are capable or according to the measure and capavity of creatures 2. As the things are great in themselves which God bestows upon his people so God hath been at great charge and expences to bring us to this inheritance He hath given us his Son his Spirit his Promises his Providences his Ordinances to bring us to this inheritance All things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 Observe the last expression the called according to his purpose Those whom God hath a purpose to save those whom he hath laid out his eternal love upon all things are ordered to bring them to that happiness he hath purposed to bestow upon them God lays the train of all his providences so as to bring his Elect to that happiness he hath chosen them to 3. The love of Christ is constant unchangeable and everlasting The unchangeableness of Gods love ariseth from the unchangeableness of his nature Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not therefore the sons of Jacob are not consumed As much as if God should have said My nature is unchangeable and that is the reason my love and mercy towards you is never changed The manifestation of Gods love may be changed towards us we may not apprehend the same effects of love at one time as at another therefore doth the Church complain Lam. 5. ult Thou hast utterly rejected us thou art very wroth against us but yet the root and fountain of Gods love is still the same Whom the Lord loves he rebukes and chastens Rev. 3.20 Gods correction of his people proceeds from his love Not but that God is truly displeased with the sins of his people when his people give way to such particular sins he disapproves of such particular acts of theirs and disapproves of them in relation to those acts therefore when David committed that sin in taking Vriah's wife the Text saith expresly but the thing which David did displeased the Lord 2 Sam. 11. ult It is contrary to the nature of God who is Holiness it self to approve of the sins of his people or of them with relation to such sinful acts nay God may be so far angry for particular miscarriages in his people as to take up the rod and correct them yet in this very case Gods original love remains The Scripture is very clear to this purpose Psal 89.30 31. If his children forsake my law c. then will I visit their transgression with the rood c nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him Here we see Gods paternal displeasure or his fatherly corrections may consist with his love yea in some sense Gods corrections are the Fruit of his love 1 Cor. 11.32 We are chastened of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world he therefore chastens that he may not condemn Gods love to his people is a fixed unalterable thing Gods love is founded in his eternal purpose now there is no changing of Gods purpose It is a great expression that of the Apostle Rom. 9.11 That the purpose of God according to election might stand The purpose of God in election stands firm and this is matter of singular and unspeakable comfort to the Saints of God If thou canst once see a line of electing love drawn forth upon thee thou mayst conclude the purpose of God remains unalterable concerning thee Now it is possible a Saint may know his election 1 Thess 1.4 Knowing beloved your election of God A Saint may know his Election by his Vocation 2 Pet. 1.10 Give diligence to make your calling and election sure Now if thou canst find out thy election thou mayst conclude the purpose of God stands unalterable to thee Christs love is from Eternity and his love never ends Having loved his own he loved them to the end Joh. 13.1 2. Having spoken of the Properties of Christs love I come to speak of the love that is to be found in both his Natures in the Divine and in the humane nature The Love of Christ is a great love if we consider the love that is to be found in each of his Natures the Divine and humane nature Eph. 5.25 it is said Christ hath loved the Church and given himself for it Christ as God hath loved the Church from Eternity therefore is it said I have loved thee with an everlasting love Jer. 31.3 Now to this ancient and first love of his there was a new love added and that was the love of Christ as Man this love which is founded in his humane nature had a beginning even as the humanity it self had a beginning but yet it is such a love as never shall have an end Christ therefore loves his Church with a twofold love with a Divine and a humane love each of which is the most sincere the greatest the most perfect the most constant and abiding love I shall speak 1. Of the love that is in his humane nature because that will help us to conceive the better of the love that is in his Divine nature the love that is in the humane nature is the product or effect of the love that is in his Divine nature and if the love of his humane nature be so great the love of his Divine nature must needs be far greater as we shall hear The love which is in his humane nature is exceeding great To understand which we must consider as there are two natures in Christ the Divine and humane nature so there are two wills the Divine and humane will and as there are two wills in Christ so we must necessarily suppose a twofold operation of those wills and so by consequence a twofold love in Christ for love is nothing but the efflux of the will some motion in the will whereby some good is willed to another now the love that is in Christs humane nature is exceeding great It is true that which the School men call Habitual grace which is in the soul of Christ is not simply infinite and the reason that they give is this The humane soul of Christ being but a creature and not infinite the habits of grace which do inhere in his humane soul as the subject they
our name in our room in our stead Hence is it said that Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness unto every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 The meaning is Christ performed that righteousness for us which the law required of us The Papists say That Christ first merited for himself and then for us but this is a very fond Opinion What need had Christ to merit any thing for himself who was Lord of all things Christ needed nothing for himself all that he did and suffered was for us The end of his Incarnation and being made man was for us To us a Son is born to us a Child is given Isa 9.6 The end of Christs being made under the Law was for us he was made under the law to redeem them that were under the law as the Text tells us The end of his Sufferings was for us 1 Pet. 4.1 Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh The end of his Resurrection was for us who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification Rom. 4.25 The end of his Ascension and Glorification was for us Hence is it said The glory which thou gavest unto me I have given unto them Joh. 17.22 Hence also are we said to be set together in heavenly places with Christ Eph. 2.6 Christ never sought any thing for himself nor received any thing for himself but he received all things for us Spiritus S. nihil aliud vult nos in morte Christi cernere gustare reputare sontire agnoscere quà m meram Dei bonitatem Calvin They are Calvins words The Spirit of God would have us behold nothing else taste nothing else make account of nothing else perceive nothing else acknowledge nothing else in the death of Christ but the meer love of God to us And what is true of his death is true of his life as Christ dyed for us so he lived for us And this will yet further appear in the 6. The sixth and last Proposition which is this The end of Christs obedience to the Law was that Christs obedience might be the matter of our righteousness Hence is it said By the obedience of one many are made righteous or constituted righteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the word signifies Rom. 5.19 It is Davenants expression Christs very obedience is imputed to us Ipsissima ejus obedientia nobis imputatur quasi esset nostra personalis as if so be it were our personal obedience like as that very disobedience of Adam in eating the forbidden Fruit is imputed to his posterity as much as if it had been committed by their own actual will In this sense the obedience of Christ or his righteousness is said to be the formal cause of our Justification because the obedience of Christ or his righteousness is accepted of God in reference to our Justification as much as if it had been wrought by us in our own persons Hence is it said Christ is made of God to us righteousness 1 Cor. 1.30 An emphatical Phrase that Christ is made of God to us righteousness It is not said that Christ doth infuse a Principle of righteousness into us though that is true and might have been said and the Apostle saith as much as that comes to in the next expression when he saith Christ is made of God to us sanctification How is Christ made Sanctification to us One way is as he infuseth grace into us and thereby works a work of Sanctification and Holiness in us which is inchoate and begun in us but here is another expression the Apostle useth He is made of God to us righteousness that is he himself is made to us righteousness It is one thing for Christ to work righteousness in us and another thing for Christ himself to be made righteousness to us The one is done in a physical way as they speak in a way of proper operation the other is done in a moral way by way of imputation Christ is made of God to us righteousness That which the Apostle intimates in this expression is That the most perfect righteousness which Christ hath in himself is made ours by true application and imputation Christs own righteousness that righteousness which inheres in Christs own person is made ours by imputation and application Hence is it said in the Text mentioned before Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to them that believe Rom. 10.3 The meaning is Christ answers that end of the Law so as by his obedience to bring in that righteousness whereby we may be justified and accepted of God The Law is still a rule of life to Believers but there is no more use of the Law to Believers as a Covenant of Works no Christs obedience to the Law is the compleat and intire matter of our righteousness Christ hath supplied and answered that end of the Law that his obedience is the matter of a Believers righteousness and all a Believers obedience is not lookt upon on this account to be a part of his righteousness whereby he should stand before God or be justified in his sight This is clear from that Text Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory but not before God The meaning of that Scripture is If Abraham did good works those good works might be praise worthy and commendable in the sight of man but they were not of that value and worth as to procure his Justification in the sight of God Abrahams best works were too short to justifie him before God therefore it is Christs obedience that is that which God tooks upon in the point of Justification is his righteousness and that only Therefore is it said Dan. 9.24 He hath brought in everlasting righteousness and he is the Lord our Righteousness Hence also is that expression Heb. 7.12 The Priesthood being changed there is made of necessity also a change of the law How is there a change of the Law I take it to be a good interpretation which a Learned man gives of this Text Facta est translatio legis in Mediatorem There is saith he a translation of the Law made upon the Mediator in this manner That he being made under the Law should satisfie the Law for us Now Christ satisfies the Law these two ways 1. By yielding most perfect obedience to the Law 2. By undergoing that punishment which we deserved Hence is it said That we are made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 It is not said the righteousness of God by him but the righteousness of God in him Videte duo justitiam Dei non nostram in ipso non in nobis August And it is an excellent passage of Austin upon that Text Behold saith he two things the Righteousness of God not our righteousness and this righteousness is said to be in him not in us And it is well observed by another Learned man Christ saith he hath
not merited that we should be just before God by some other thing as the Papists say Christ hath merited that we might merit but the obedience and satisfaction of Christ is that very thing that is imputed to us for righteousness Hence is that expression Isa 45.25 Surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength In Dominâ— justitiae meae In the Original it is in the Plural number In the Lord are my righteousnesses From what hath been opened Vse 1 Learn where it is we must have recourse for Justification and that is unto the Righteousness of Christ who was made under the Law for us God accepts of nothing but a perfect righteousness for Justification Rom. 3.26 That he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus Therefore though we must aim at the most perfect obedience and conformity to the Law Be ye perfect as your Father who is in heaven is perfect that is let your aim be at perfection let your endeavour be after perfection yet when we come to God for Justification and acceptance we must lay aside all thoughts of our own righteousness and lean upon the perfect and compleat Righteousness of our Head who hath fully answered the Law and brought in such a righteousness as the Law requires If ever we be justified we must be justified by our own fulfilling of the law or by another's fulfilling of the law for us by our own fulfilling of the law we cannot be justified for that it is utterly impossible we should fulfil the law in our imperfect weak and corrupt state The Apostle teacheth us this expresly Rom. 8.3 The law is weak through the flesh that is the law cannot justifie us because we cannot fulfil it Therefore if we cannot be justified by our own fulfilling of the law if ever we be justified it must be by another's fulfilling of it for us and that is by Christ who hath fulfilled it for us It is well observed by a Learned man God doth infuse some Principles of inchoate Righteousness and Holiness into us here on earth whereby we are in some measure fitted to do good works but because that inherent righteousness which is in us doth not attain to legal perfection Hâc utendam illâ â—itendum we must indeed use this that is we must study the practice of holiness and righteousness but when it comes to dependence we must rest and rely alone upon the Righteousness of Christ for justification and acceptation The Lord sees many flaws and defects in our best obedience our righteousness is but as a menstruous cloth therefore when we come to God for Justification we must go out of our selves and look nakedly and singly to the Lord Jesus Christ In the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 that is the righteousness which is wrought by the person of the Son of God in our nature is the righteousness propounded and offered to us in the Gospel for our Justification and this is revealed from faith to faith this is the righteousness our faith must have recourse unto here must faith direct it self and here must it pitch and if our faith hath once embraced it it must embrace it still this is the meaning of that expression from faith to faith Faith must rise up higher and higher if faith hath apprehended a little of this righteousness it must labour to apprehend it more clearly and distinctly And therefore it is added The just shall live by faith To live by faith is to have a constant recourse to the righteousness of Christ for justification Let us not think this a light matter or a common point I am now pressing Possibly some may say Who knows not this that we must go to the Righteousness of Christ for Justification But O let me say the best Christians have need to be more distinct and explicite in their faith in apprehending the Righteousness of Christ for Justification It is an easie thing to assent to this Truth of God but in practice to come off from our selves and clearly to apprehend this that God looks upon nothing in us no not upon our best Duties and Performances but that he sets the naked righteousness of his Son before him and the obedience wrought by his Son not any obedience wrought by us as the matter of our acceptation this is a marvellous difficult thing to apprehend and believe Therefore let us labour after more skill in the great Mystery of Believing and going to the Righteousness of Christ for Justification This may comfort poor Believers in reference to their failings Vse 2 infirmities and imperfections When a child of God sees so many failings in himself so many defects and imperfections in his obedience so many mixtures of sin and corruption with that little good that is in him his many defects and comings short of the rule in the best things he doth he thinks with himself How is it possible God should accept of such a one as I am The great relief as to this is that Christ was made under the Law and he hath perfectly fulfilled it Though thou comest far short of what the law requires yet if thou beest a Believer thou art accepted in the compleat Righteousness of Christ although thy obedience is imperfect and short and is no way such upon the account of which God should accept thee yet thou art accepted in Christ who is thy Head who hath wrought out a compleat obedience for thee Hence is it said We are compleat in him Col. 2.10 God when he accepts thy person doth not look upon what thou hast done but upon what Christ hath done Christ is the end of the law for righteousness If thou be a Believer God considers thee according to what thou art in Christ and not according to what thou art in thy self he considers Christs obedience not thy obedience Not but that a Believer is still bound to obedience and the law is still a rule of obedience to him but in the point of Justification God hath respect to Christs obedience not to our obedience Our obedience at the best is but imperfect obedience and therefore God in justifying his people hath respect to the obedience of his Son Thou comest infinitely short of fulfilling the law but if thou be a Believer thou art reputed in Christ as having fulfilled the law Hence is the law said to be fulfilled in us Rom. 8.4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us The righteousness of the law never was nor can be perfectly fulfilled in and by any individual Believer but it is fulfilled for us in a part of our nature the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in Christ our Head Christ hath perfectly obeyed the law for us in a part of our nature and so the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us that is it is fulfilled in Christ who bare our nature and so by
wrath of God for ever O it is of infinite concernment to us to make haste to him and to embrace him that was made a curse for us that we might be delivered from the curse Christ was made a curse for us that he might deliver them from the curse who flee for refuge to the hope set before them Nothing can pacifie the sin-revenging Justice of God but holding up Christ in the arms of our faith who was made a curse and upon whom the curse hath spent all its venom all its force and strength He that believes on the Son is not condemned Joh. 3.18 Oh let the Doctrine of the Curse which hath been opened make Christ more and more precious to us let us embrace him with both the arms of our faith If we can hide our selves in the Righteousness and Satisfaction of Christ the curse which we have deserved shall never overtake us The end of the ninth Sermon SERMON X. Joh. 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends I Come to a third Particular to shew you how it was that Christ was made a curse for us The third Particular is this In Christs being made a curse the wrath of God was consummated upon him Christ in being made a curse for us bare the whole punishment that was due to us It was not part of the punishment only but the whole punishment which was due to us that Christ underwent All the curses of the Law did as it were meet upon him and there was nothing wanting which the Law would inflict upon sinners as sinners but the curse brought upon Christ as our Surety The curse notes the utmost execution of evil upon the sinner It is in the nature of the curse to imprecate the greatest evil upon a person and to bring the utmost evil upon him that it can Therefore Christ being made a curse for us he bare all the punishment that the Law could inflict Maledictio Christi continet omnem poenam nostram Christs being made a curse says a Learned man contains in it all our punishment Whatever punishment was due to us was contained in this That Christ was made a curse And another Judicious Divine hath a passage to this purpose In Christs being made a curse the fulness of Gods wrath and the dregs of that horrible cup was wholly poured out upon that sacred head of his when together and at once Heaven and Earth and Hell seemed to conspire together to exact from our Surety that punishment that was due to our sins in that cursed kind of death which was a sign or Symbol of the Divine curse that lay upon him The whole punishment that was due to us for our sins was laid upon Christ in his being made a curse Hence is that expression Isa 53.6 10. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all or as it is in the Margent He hath made the iniquity of us all to meet upon him The sins of all the Elect did meet on Christ that is God did charge all the sins of the Elect upon Christ Christ was reckoned a sinner by imputation as it is in the last verse of that Chapter He was numbred with the transgressors and he bare the sins of â—â—ny He was numbred with the transgressors Christ though he was no sinner in himself yet he was reckoned a sinner 1 Cor. 6.20 He made him to be sin that knew no sin Now as all the sins of the Elect were charged upon Christ in a way of imputation so the punishment of their sins was laid upon him Hence is that expression The chastisement of our peace was upon him Isa 53.3 that is the whole punishment due to us was laid upon Christ and this is called the chastisement of our peace because Christs undergoing of this punishment was that which was necessary to make our peace the Justice of God required satisfaction and unless the punishment which the Law threatens were some way born and undergone God would not be at peace with us therefore saith the Prophet The chastisement of our peace was upon him that is the punishment that was due to us was inflicted and laid upon our Surety that so we that were at variance with God before might now be brought into peace with him Therefore it follows in the same place By his stripes we are healed the chastisement of our people was upon him and by his stripes we are healed Christ bearing that which we should have born he undergoing our punishment this is the means to make our peace with God Hence also is that expression of the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree Christ our Surety bare all our sins he hath born the guilt and punishment of all the sins of the Elect and that wholly and fully whatever the Law and Divine Justice would inflict upon us as sinners that Christ our Surety hath born for us Hence is it that our Saviour immediately before his death uttered these words It is finished Joh. 19.30 It is finished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acta transacta omnia Beza consummated or perfected all things were done and transacted by Christ that were necessary to be done by him Christ did not make an end of his sufferings until he had suffered all that he was to suffer It is finished that is as another expounds that expression Christ fulfilled all the Scripture-prophecies the subst ance of the Types were fulfilled in him and he fulfilled all that which God determined to be paid for the expiation of sin Christ finished the whole work of our Redemption he left nothing undone and unsuffered that was to be done and suffered in order to the accomplishment of our Salvation It is finished as much as if it had been said Nothing remains more to be suffered but the very act of dying and giving up his life which he was now just about to do all that the Law and Justice could inflict upon him was inflicted upon him and therefore he said It was finished Hence are those expressions we have in the Book of Daniel Dan. 9.24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sin and to make reconciliation for iniquity Consider those expressions to make an end of sin and to make reconciliation for iniquity That expression which we translate to make an end of sin it is in the Originai to seal up sin Christ hath sealed up sin in respect of the guilt of it as to condemnation Christ by his death hath so sealed up sin that sin hath no more power to condemn those who believe on him he hath perfectly taken away the condemning power of it Hence is it said That Christ hath rased out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing
the Law hath no more to demand When there is a full payment made there is no more debt can be exacted Christs obedience was full and compleat there remained nothing more for him to suffer Therefore is it said That he hath brought in everlasting righteousness Dan. 9.24 By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 Who was delivered up for our offences and raised again for our justification Rom. 5. ult Christ was delivered up for our offences that is delivered up to death Christ in dying bare the guilt and punishment of our sins but he was raised again for our justification Now if Christ had not satisfied and discharged the debt to the utmost he could not have been raised for our justification for if there had been any part of the punishment not suffered the Law might have exacted part of us but saith the Text Christ was raised again for our justification Therefore it is plain and evident that Christ in dying bare the whole punishment that the Law would have inflicted upon us When the debt is paid the prisoner is let out of prison Christ being our Surety was under an arrest by the Law and by Divine Justice but now Christ our Surety having fully paid the debt Christ is released out of prison having paid the debt which he owed in his sufferings he is raised again for our justification Christs Resurrection was an evidence that our debt was fully paid and discharged by our Surety Hence also is that of our Saviour himself Joh. 16.8 9. The Spirit shall convince the world of sin of righteousness and of judgment Why of righteousness Because I go to the Father Christs Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven was a certain evidence that Christ was a righteous person For if Christ had not fully answered the Law he had never been raised up from the dead and taken up into glory he had been detained and kept in prison still and the reason is plainly that which was intimated before that Christ was not born for himself nor dyed for himself but he was born a common person he was born for us and dyed for us therefore Christ being a common person and our Surety and so transacting our cause the Law would not have been satisfied neither would Divine Justice have been quieted till all that had been undergone that we deserved Therefore when it is said that Christ went to his Father after his suffering and when it is said He was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification it is plain and evident that the Law and Justice had taken their fill of Christ and had nothing more to demand of him The fourteenth Proposition is That Divine Justice being satisfied in what Christ hath suffered God acquits and discharges Believers from the guilt and punishment of their sins Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemns it is Christ that dyed It is as much as if the Apostle should say A Believer is acquitted and discharged from the guilt of his sins no one can lay any thing to his charge because God hath justified him no one can condemn him because Christ hath born the punishment that he should have born who is he that condemns it is Christ that dyed A Believer is not liable to condemnation because Christ hath been condemned for him and the Law hath sate in Judgment upon Christ and hath arraigned and condemned him now the Law is not wont to punish the same crime twice The Justice of God having punished sin in Christ the Head and Surety of the Elect will not punish sin the second time in Believers themselves It is a good expression of one of the Ancients Caput corpus unus est Christus satisfecit ergo caput pro membris Christus pro visceribus suis Ambros The head and body are but one Christ Christ therefore being the head hath satisfied for his members Christ hath satisfied for Believers who are his own bowels The last Proposition is this That Christs Satisfaction hath merit in it though merit and satisfaction are near akin yet they are distinct notions Satisfaction doth properly signifie the turning away of some evil that is impending and Merit properly respects some good to be procured Now Christ by his Satisfaction doth not only turn away that evil from us that we deserve but he also merits and procures good for us 1. Christ by his Satisfaction turns away evil from us He turns away the wrath of God from us he turns away the curses of the Law and all the effects of Divine wrath Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Hence also is that expression Rom. 11.26 The Redeemer shall come from Zion and turn away ungodliness from Jacob that is he shall turn away the guilt and punishment of sin from Believers he shall turn away all the evils and miseries that sin would bring upon us His name shall be called Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins Mat. 1. But this is not all Christ by his Satisfaction doth not only turn away evil but 2. He procures good for us he procures righteousness and the favour of God the Spirit the grace of the Spirit and eternal life for us The Sufferings of Christ have merit in them to purchase good things for us Hence is that expression of our Saviour in the Ordinance of the Supper This cup is the new Testament in my blood The meaning is that all the good things in the new Covenant all the blessings comprehended in the Covenant of Grace are purchased by the blood of Christ The Covenant of Grace is the Charter in which all good things are contained and all these things are the purchase of the blood of Christ The end of the eleventh Sermon SERMON XII Joh. 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends IT remains now that I should come to make some general Application of this great Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction Although there have been some particular Uses of this Doctrine all along in the several branches of it yet it may be meet in the close to annex some general Application as to the whole Doctrine about Christs Satisfaction The first Use shall be an Use of Confutation to confute the Adversaries of this Truth There are two great Adversaries to this Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction 1. The Socinians who deny the Satisfaction of Christ altogether 2. The Papists who bring in other Satisfactions besides that of Christ's 1. The Socinians they are the most professed Adversaries to the Doctrine of Christs Satisfaction they tell us that the sufferings of Christ were only a kind of Martyrdom that Christ dyed to confirm the truth that he had preached also that his sufferings were for an example but they wholly deny that what Christ suffered